How to best sample the beer during 5 days in Belgium?
February 22, 2020 6:26 PM Subscribe
I'm a beer person who likes to try traditional styles from around the world and I'm going to Belgium imminently, so of course I need to try all kinds of Belgian beer. How can I best do this during my ~5 day trip without investing a full day in an organized "beer tour" or anything like that? Details within.
Actually, I've wanted to go beer drinking in Belgium for quite some time and given my druthers, I WOULD visit a bunch of abbeys and breweries and whatever. But there's not enough time for that on this trip and my travel companions don't want to spend their time that way. How do I still get a good, broad selection of Belgian beers? Are there well-known beer bars? I'm interested in trying local things that are maybe not distributed so broadly across the world - I'm sure I'll have a couple glasses of Chimay, but that's not the point.
We'll be visiting Brussels, Ghent, Bruges, and possibly Antwerp, so advice about any of those cities would be welcome. If there is a super-accessible abbey or brewery near one of those cities, I might be able to swing it, but no day-trips out into the countryside to visit Westvleteren, for instance. I have searched online but I find lots of organized beer tours and such that seem over the top. To the extent I have found "beer bars," I can't really tell between them which would be good for my purposes. Thanks!
Actually, I've wanted to go beer drinking in Belgium for quite some time and given my druthers, I WOULD visit a bunch of abbeys and breweries and whatever. But there's not enough time for that on this trip and my travel companions don't want to spend their time that way. How do I still get a good, broad selection of Belgian beers? Are there well-known beer bars? I'm interested in trying local things that are maybe not distributed so broadly across the world - I'm sure I'll have a couple glasses of Chimay, but that's not the point.
We'll be visiting Brussels, Ghent, Bruges, and possibly Antwerp, so advice about any of those cities would be welcome. If there is a super-accessible abbey or brewery near one of those cities, I might be able to swing it, but no day-trips out into the countryside to visit Westvleteren, for instance. I have searched online but I find lots of organized beer tours and such that seem over the top. To the extent I have found "beer bars," I can't really tell between them which would be good for my purposes. Thanks!
Definitely get to Cantillon if you can while in Brussels. A few minutes walk from there is the newer Fontainas location of Moeder Lambic, which is a great beer bar with extensive tap and bottle lists. (Though on my one swing through Brussels I only made it to that location and not the original.)
In Ghent, the Gruut brewery is pretty close in the city center and worth checking out. Their beers are hopless and brewed with an herb mixture instead.
posted by bassooner at 10:58 PM on February 22, 2020
In Ghent, the Gruut brewery is pretty close in the city center and worth checking out. Their beers are hopless and brewed with an herb mixture instead.
posted by bassooner at 10:58 PM on February 22, 2020
De Halve Maan in Bruges is a brewery with a taproom. They have a rather nice blonde (Brugse Zot - 'the fool of Bruges' - and note that Brugge is the local name for the town, since it's actually Flemish speaking around there) and they served it unfiltered only in the taproom when I was last there (a long while back, I warn you). They will also do a tour, but you don't have to do it.
That aside there were also a couple of good taprooms near the town square with a wide selection on tap, and bottles besides - and that's pretty common in the whole of Belgium, so you don't necessarily have to work hard to get a variety of beer. Given Belgian beer is typically bottled and barrelled and, unlike UK beer for instance, travels easily, you don't have to hunt down the source to find interesting things.
Most beer places will serve some variety of food for your colleagues, though it might be fairly simple. Beer snacks = borrelhapjes; if you find bitterballen, eat them.
I recently spent time in Antwerp and, while I can't say anything much about the local breweries, there there are a *lot* of taprooms in town. The station area is very tourist-centric and in close vicinity there's a street full of cafes, one of which (sorry, the name escapes me) has literally hundreds of beer in bottles and on tap. There's also a beer place in the station with a wide variety of esoteric US beer. The variety in all of them is so great you won't be bored by what there is to drink whichever one you choose.
If it matters to you the whole country is pretty accommodating to English speakers, and I don't foresee any problems in the places you named.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 11:28 PM on February 22, 2020
That aside there were also a couple of good taprooms near the town square with a wide selection on tap, and bottles besides - and that's pretty common in the whole of Belgium, so you don't necessarily have to work hard to get a variety of beer. Given Belgian beer is typically bottled and barrelled and, unlike UK beer for instance, travels easily, you don't have to hunt down the source to find interesting things.
Most beer places will serve some variety of food for your colleagues, though it might be fairly simple. Beer snacks = borrelhapjes; if you find bitterballen, eat them.
I recently spent time in Antwerp and, while I can't say anything much about the local breweries, there there are a *lot* of taprooms in town. The station area is very tourist-centric and in close vicinity there's a street full of cafes, one of which (sorry, the name escapes me) has literally hundreds of beer in bottles and on tap. There's also a beer place in the station with a wide variety of esoteric US beer. The variety in all of them is so great you won't be bored by what there is to drink whichever one you choose.
If it matters to you the whole country is pretty accommodating to English speakers, and I don't foresee any problems in the places you named.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 11:28 PM on February 22, 2020
Eat lots of small meals and you can try beers with every one of them. We particularly liked the Cambrinus pub and restaurant in Bruges (not the cafe)...giant binder full of beers, organised by style. And the food was delicious.
posted by iamkimiam at 11:39 PM on February 22, 2020
posted by iamkimiam at 11:39 PM on February 22, 2020
The #1 place I'd recommend in Ghent is the Trollekelder; they have a great menu, great atmosphere, and knowledgeable staff. Het Waterhuis Aan De Bierkant is also good, and the location is lovely.
Personally, I wouldn't bother with Dulle Griet; it's well-known because it's on the Vrijdagmarkt, but it's one of those places that's all about having a gigantic menu for tourists. It's Belgium, so of course they have good beer, but IMO it's better to go down the street to the Trollekelder.
Also, if you want to have a very traditional Gents meal, go to Babbelut on the Vrijdagmarkt and order the Gents stoofvlees.
In Brugge, 't Brugs Beertje is tiny and charming. I went there a few hours after touring De Halve Maan and saw my tour guide having a beer, so that seemed like a pretty good sign!
posted by neushoorn at 1:27 AM on February 23, 2020 [2 favorites]
Personally, I wouldn't bother with Dulle Griet; it's well-known because it's on the Vrijdagmarkt, but it's one of those places that's all about having a gigantic menu for tourists. It's Belgium, so of course they have good beer, but IMO it's better to go down the street to the Trollekelder.
Also, if you want to have a very traditional Gents meal, go to Babbelut on the Vrijdagmarkt and order the Gents stoofvlees.
In Brugge, 't Brugs Beertje is tiny and charming. I went there a few hours after touring De Halve Maan and saw my tour guide having a beer, so that seemed like a pretty good sign!
posted by neushoorn at 1:27 AM on February 23, 2020 [2 favorites]
As a very big generalisation: the parts of Belgium where you want to be trying out beers (and the food to go with them) are the areas which are Flemish rather than French. If you are in French speaking areas try the wine and the cider instead. Brussels is the exception.
In most parts of the world, it is a safe assumption to believe draught beers are better than those in bottles. This is not always the case with Belgian beers however: particularly lambic and wheat brews which are designed to complete their fermentation in the bottle. Because of this, and because it is easier to keep a bottle than a draught beer, make sure you sample both.
Tap rooms often have many draught beers on offer however - and they are able to do this because most of the cask sizes they work with are smaller than in other countries. A good tap room will have the kind of levels of sales that ensure everything is fresh. This means that if you find a place you like - you should be able to do a "beer tour of the country" by working your way down its menu- without ever having to leave the bar.
Having the right glass to do with a particular beer is considered important by the locals. This is not just a branding thing but also because the shape of the glass is designed to influence the taste. Don't drink anywhere that gives you the wrong glass! Consider that Unesco added Belgian beer to its "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" list in 2016. The bar, the beer, the food, the story you are told when you ask about it and the glass - are all part of that heritage.
This is quite a good page of advice.
posted by rongorongo at 4:10 AM on February 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
In most parts of the world, it is a safe assumption to believe draught beers are better than those in bottles. This is not always the case with Belgian beers however: particularly lambic and wheat brews which are designed to complete their fermentation in the bottle. Because of this, and because it is easier to keep a bottle than a draught beer, make sure you sample both.
Tap rooms often have many draught beers on offer however - and they are able to do this because most of the cask sizes they work with are smaller than in other countries. A good tap room will have the kind of levels of sales that ensure everything is fresh. This means that if you find a place you like - you should be able to do a "beer tour of the country" by working your way down its menu- without ever having to leave the bar.
Having the right glass to do with a particular beer is considered important by the locals. This is not just a branding thing but also because the shape of the glass is designed to influence the taste. Don't drink anywhere that gives you the wrong glass! Consider that Unesco added Belgian beer to its "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" list in 2016. The bar, the beer, the food, the story you are told when you ask about it and the glass - are all part of that heritage.
This is quite a good page of advice.
posted by rongorongo at 4:10 AM on February 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
This means that if you find a place you like - you should be able to do a "beer tour of the country" by working your way down its menu- without ever having to leave the bar.
This is absolutely the case. For your purposes, the best fits of the Brussels bars listed in the Guardian article would be Moeder Lambic (either branch), The Sister, and La Brocante. They are in or near the center; if you're staying in the area, I'd add Monk, Poechenellekelder, La Porte Noire, Brasserie Le Lombard, Toone, Au Soleil, and — for places that also serve food — Bier Circus, Chez Bobonne, and Nuëtnigenough. Some are more craft beer-oriented than others, but they will all allow you to explore the different beer styles in one place. Since a beer list with only a couple dozen entries for Belgian beers would count as short, and the lists in some of these bars top a hundred, doing a bit of research on the styles you want to try will yield better advice from staff and speed up your selection process considerably.
(Brewdog has a good selection of non-Brewdog beers, though expensive by local standards, and it would be a pity to go to a Scottish pub while in Belgium. Restobières has decent food but the prices for beer are so outrageous that I refuse to go there on principle. Cantillon is absolutely worth a visit if you want to see a brewery, but you'll be sticking to lambics and gueuzes here.)
These are just off the top of my head, and I kept to bars in the heart of Brussels. Feel free to MeMail me if you have questions, or if you'll be staying in a different area of Brussels — there are tons of other places in the city.
posted by pendrift at 4:03 PM on February 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
This is absolutely the case. For your purposes, the best fits of the Brussels bars listed in the Guardian article would be Moeder Lambic (either branch), The Sister, and La Brocante. They are in or near the center; if you're staying in the area, I'd add Monk, Poechenellekelder, La Porte Noire, Brasserie Le Lombard, Toone, Au Soleil, and — for places that also serve food — Bier Circus, Chez Bobonne, and Nuëtnigenough. Some are more craft beer-oriented than others, but they will all allow you to explore the different beer styles in one place. Since a beer list with only a couple dozen entries for Belgian beers would count as short, and the lists in some of these bars top a hundred, doing a bit of research on the styles you want to try will yield better advice from staff and speed up your selection process considerably.
(Brewdog has a good selection of non-Brewdog beers, though expensive by local standards, and it would be a pity to go to a Scottish pub while in Belgium. Restobières has decent food but the prices for beer are so outrageous that I refuse to go there on principle. Cantillon is absolutely worth a visit if you want to see a brewery, but you'll be sticking to lambics and gueuzes here.)
These are just off the top of my head, and I kept to bars in the heart of Brussels. Feel free to MeMail me if you have questions, or if you'll be staying in a different area of Brussels — there are tons of other places in the city.
posted by pendrift at 4:03 PM on February 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
You could totally spend as much or as little time as you wanted at Kulminator in Antwerp and get pretty much the best Belgian beer experience there is. Nthing Halve Maan in Bruges as a great tour and taproom as well though.
posted by supercres at 5:01 PM on February 23, 2020
posted by supercres at 5:01 PM on February 23, 2020
For Ghent, Trollenkelder and Waterhuis are indeed the places to go. Trollenkelder actually has Westvleteren on the menu, but it's not always available. If you're at Waterhuis you should drop into Dreupelkot for a jenever. Around the corner there's also Hot Club, which is a cozy, hidden-ish jazz bar. Their menu is fairly standard, but the atmosphere's nice.
In Antwerp, Kulminator is apparently the place to be. I've never been, but I've heard good things. You definitely want to drink a Bolleke, and Tripel d'Anvers is also having a bit of a moment. Those should be available on tap at most places.
One of my favorites is Seefbier, which they have on tap at Lunchbox (but it's also very good out of the bottle). If you're there on a Saturday, there's a fun market on the square in front of Lunchbox. Dansing Chocola has St. Bernardus (basically Westvleteren) on tap, which is nice. If you can sit upstairs you get a nice view of the room, great for people watching.
Not far from MAS there's Batavier, which is apparently back open, and I've heard they have Karmeliet on tap.
posted by Karmeliet at 2:35 AM on February 24, 2020
In Antwerp, Kulminator is apparently the place to be. I've never been, but I've heard good things. You definitely want to drink a Bolleke, and Tripel d'Anvers is also having a bit of a moment. Those should be available on tap at most places.
One of my favorites is Seefbier, which they have on tap at Lunchbox (but it's also very good out of the bottle). If you're there on a Saturday, there's a fun market on the square in front of Lunchbox. Dansing Chocola has St. Bernardus (basically Westvleteren) on tap, which is nice. If you can sit upstairs you get a nice view of the room, great for people watching.
Not far from MAS there's Batavier, which is apparently back open, and I've heard they have Karmeliet on tap.
posted by Karmeliet at 2:35 AM on February 24, 2020
Because we had limited time in which to sample the bounty, my brother and I just went to a grocery store and bought a bunch of singles. Most were less than a Euro.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 6:02 AM on February 24, 2020
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 6:02 AM on February 24, 2020
Most of my favourites are listed above, especially Kulminator (check that they are open before you go). I was in Brussels in January and tried a new one (well, new to me) called Beer Mania, which is a bottled beer shop with a tap room in the back - you can buy and try any of their 400 beers (including their own brew), with some nibbles also available. Other atmospheric choices in Antwerp would be Elfde Gebod and Pelgrom.
posted by sagwalla at 3:07 AM on February 28, 2020
posted by sagwalla at 3:07 AM on February 28, 2020
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I’m not an expert or a local, but those are some places I enjoyed in Brussels.
posted by rodlymight at 8:00 PM on February 22, 2020 [4 favorites]